Fail safe stop motion for looms

ABSTRACT

A fail safe stop motion for looms having mechanical warp stop motions for effecting a positive cessation of loom operation in the event of electrical power failure to the loom and which will prevent a restart of the loom, except by manual manipulation of the loom&#39;&#39;s shipper handle upon restoration of the electrical power.

U 1' 1: 110 Tosti et a1.

States Patent [191 51 Dec. 30, 1975 [54] FAIL SAFE STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS [75] Inventors: Umberto V. Tosti, Milford; Richard L. Childs, Mendon, both of Mass.

[73] Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation,

Pittsburgh, Pa.

22 Filed: Nov. 27, 1974 211 Appl. No.: 527,597

[52] US. Cl 139/336; 139/349 [51] Int. Cl. D03D 51/00; D03D 51/20 [58] Field of Search... 139/336, 358, 369, 346-353,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,078,215 11/1913 Patterson 139/336 1,538,625 5/1925 Davis et al... 139/369 1,580,084 4/1926 Brown 139/369 2,286,484 6/1942 Grizey 139/349 2,300,098 10/1942 Brooks et al... 139/336 2,639,734 5/1953 Brock et a1. 139/349 2,707,977 5/1955 Sanderson 139/336 3,324,899 6/1967 Stagg, Jr..... 139/353 3,498,339 3/1970 Davis et a1. 139/336 3,625,243 12/1971 Hansen et al. 139/336 Primary Examiner-James Kee Chi [5 7] ABSTRACT A fail safe stop motion for looms having mechanical warp stop motions for effecting a positive cessation of loom operation in the event of electrical power failure to the loom and which will prevent a restart of the loom, except by manual manipulation of the looms shipper handle upon restoration of the electrical power.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 3,929,171

FAIL SAFE STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Warp stop motions for looms of the well-known mechanical type employ a sliding feeler bar movable within a generally U-shaped feeler bar holder, both of which are notched at their topedges to cooperate in stopping the loom in the event a drop wire ceases to be held in an elevated position by its respective warp thread.

In the operation of looms for weaving, stop motions are provided for signalling a knock-off of the loom upon failure of a weaving thread, these systems being generally applicable to detect and interrupt operation of the loom upon failure of either the warp or weft yarn.

Additionally it is desirable that a fail safe system be provided on looms which will provide a means for knocking off the loom upon failure of power thereto. While the loom would, of course, stop if power to it failed, it is desirable that the knock-off means be caused to function so that when power returns, the loom will not start under improper conditions.

If looms are allowed to coast to a stop in the event of power failure, it can be particularly detrimental to looms of the fly shuttle type if the power 'is returned and the loom permitted to restart with the return of said power. As is well-known to those conversant in the art a loom should be stopped with the shuttle in the shuttle box to assure'proper shuttle flight when starting the loom. If a loom is started having an improperly boxed shuttle, as would be the case if a loom coasted to a stop, the shuttle could be thrown completely out of the loom or create a smash by tearing out a large number of warp yarns.

US. Pat. Nos. 2,300,098 and 2,707,977 both disclose stop motion devices for looms to effect knock-off in the event of power failure the first of which is directly associated with the looms knockoff and the other being operatively associated with an electrical warp stop motion for looms of the shuttleless type.

The present invention is concerned primarily with looms of the fly-shuttle type having a mechanical warp stop motion of the sliding feeler bar type. It provides a means for the immediate actuation of the stop motion and knock-off of the loom in the event of power failure.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION The fail safe stop motion comprising the invention includes a solenoid member having a reciprocable armature and is connected to the loom s source of electrical power. By suitable support brackets the solenoid is positioned adjacent one side of the loom and in vertical alignment with one of the sliding feeler bars and its holder of the well-known mechanical warp stop motion type. The reciprocable armature is provided with a depending blade element, the lower end of which is bifurcated, for the purpose of straddling the sliding feeler bar and its holder so as to position the inner terminus portion of the bifurcation in close proximity with the notched top edges of said sliding feeler bar and holder. The solenoid is continuously energized while the loom is in operation and is effective in maintaining the depending blade in the position described above. Upon an interruption of electrical power to the loom, the solenoid is immediately deenergized causing the armature to drop downwardly to a position where the blade member carried thereby causes an interference motions which is operatively associated with the latter and which will prevent start-up of a loom after the return of interrupted electrical power to said loom.

These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent by reference to the appended claims and as the following detailed description proceeds in reference to the figures of drawing wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a mechanical warp stop motion for looms showing the device according to the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view .of a portion of the device in FIG. 1, showing the position which the bifurcated blade member is caused to assume upon failure of power to a loom for actuating the warp stop motion;

FIG. 3 is an end view of=the device in FIG. 1 showing the position of the blademember during normal operation-of a loom; and I FIG. 4 is a view of the transformer for connecting the invention with the looms sourceof electrical power.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As the general construction and operation of a mechanical warp stop motion for looms'to which the present invention is applicable is well-known and familiar to those conversant in the art, and as the invention is entirely concerned with a fail safe system operatively associated with such stop motions, it is only considered necessary here .to illustrate anddescribe those parts which are directly concerned with a preferred form of the present invention.

In FIG. 1 a portion of mechanical warp stop motion is indicated generally by numeral 10 and includes a sliding feeler bar 11 having the usual notches 12 formed on the top thereof. This sliding feeler bar 11 is supported for reciprocating movement. in a sliding feeler bar holder 13 having a generally U-shaped crosssectional configuration that includes spaced-side walls 14 and 15 (FIG. 3). The upper portion of each of the side walls 14 and 15 are provided with notches l6 and in a well-known manner cooperate with the notches 12 of the sliding feeler bar 11 to stop the loom should a drop wire (not shown) fail to stay suspended by its respective warp thread a sufficient distance above said reciprocating feeler bar 11 and holder 13.

Adjacent one side of the loom a solenoid 16 is supported above and in vertical alignment with one of the stop motions sliding feeler bars 11 and its holder 13 (FIGS. 1 and 3) and is attached by means of screws 17 to one horizontally disposed by of a generally L-shaped support bracket 18. The other leg of this support bracket 18 extends in a downwardly direction and is adjustably attached to the upper end of a mounting bracket 19 by means of bolts 20. The mounting bracket 19 can be attached to any convenient location on the loom and is shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 as being assembled on one side of a guide rail 21 by means of bolts 22,

3 which forms a pair of the support structure for the warp stop motion 10.

The solenoid 16 includesa reciprocable armature 23 and has fixed thereto, by means of a rivet 24, a depending blade member25.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 the lower portion of the blade member 25 is bifurcated as at 26 which extends upwardly for a portion of the longitudinal length of said blade member. The bifurcated portion of the blade member is shown in loom operating position in FIG. 3 with the inner terminus portion of the bifurcation being disposed in close proximity with the top of one of the notches 12 of the sliding feeler bar 11.

While the loom is operating, the solenoid 16' is continuously energized and the reciprocable armature is held in a first or upper position which positions the blade member as shown in FIG. 3. This solenoid is connected by electrical leads 27 and 28 to a transformer 29 (FIG. 4) which in turn is connected to the looms source of electrical power (not shown) by means of leads 30 and 31.

In the event of power failure to a loom, the solenoid is immediately deenergized causing the reciprocable armature 23 to drop downwardly and carry with it the blade member 25 to a lower or second position shown in FIG. 2. In this position the blade member 25 performs the function of a drop wire of creating an interference with the reciprocal movement of the sliding feeler bar 11 which initiates actuation of the warp stop motion and knock-off of the loom.

To facilitate movement of the blade member to the position shown in FIG. 2 so that the inner terminus portion of the bifurcation thereof drops into one of the notches 12 of the sliding feeler bar and a pair of opposed notches 16 formed in the sliding feeler bar holder 13, the upper surface of the side walls of a plurality of said notches 12 are tapered as at 32 in FIGS. 1 and 2.

To summarize the operation, the solenoid 16 remains energized while the loom is operating and is effective in maintaining its armature in a first or upper position which positions the blade member 25 carried by the latter in a position whereby the inner terminus portion of the bifurcation of said blade member is disposed in close proximity with the upper most surface of the sliding feeler bar 11. immediately upon failure of electrical power to the loom, solenoid 16' is deengergized causing its armature and the blade member carried thereby, to drop downwardly into the notches of the sliding feeler bar and its holder, and stops the reciprocal movement of said sliding feeler bar. Cessation of movement of the sliding feeler bar initiates actuation of the warp stop motion and knock-off of the loom. When power to the loom is returned, solenoid 16' becomes energized and the armature with the blade-member is drawn upwardly to the loom operating position; however, the loom will not restart with the return of power until an operator moves the looms shipper handle to its operating position.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as those skilled in the art will readily understand.

Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview and scope of the invention and the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A fail safe operating system for looms having a mechanical warp stop motion of the sliding feeler bar type for effecting stoppage of loom operation upon breakage of a warp yarn and the release of a drop wire suspended thereby to the sliding feeler bar, said system comprising:

a. drive means for operating the loom;

b. circuit means operably connected to a source of electricity and to said drive meansvfor effecting operation thereof;

0. solenoid means connected to said circuit means,

said solenoid means having a reciprocable armature held in a first position when said solenoid means is energized and movable to a second position upon the deenergizing of said solenoidmeans; and

d. means operated by said armature for actuating the warp stop motion upon movement of said reciprocable armature to said second position.

2. The fail safe operating system according to claim 1 wherein. said solenoid means is of the continuously energized type for maintaining said reciprocable armature and said actuating means in said first position during loom operation.

3. The fail safe operating system according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means defines a bifurcated blade member fixed to one end of said reciprocable armature and movable therewith between said first and second positions. 

1. A fail safe operating system for looms having a mechanical warp stop motion of the sliding feeler bar type for effecting stoppage of loom operation upon breakage of a warp yarn and the release of a drop wire suspended thereby to the sliding feeler bar, said system comprising: a. drive means for operating the loom; b. circuit means operably connected to a source of electricity and to said drive means for effecting operation thereof; c. solenoid means connected to said circuit means, said solenoid means having a reciprocable armature held in a first position when said solenoid means is energized and movable to a second position upon the deenergizing of said solenoid means; and d. means operated by said armature for actuating the warp stop motion upon movement of said reciprocable armature to said second position.
 2. The fail safe operating system according to claim 1 wherein said solenoid means is of the continuously energized type for maintaining said reciprocable armature and said actuating means in said first position during loom operation.
 3. The fail safe operating system according to claim 1 wherein said actuating means defines a bifurcated blade member fixed to one end of said reciprocable armature and movable therewith between said first and second positions. 